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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

I had to share this article and include a few quotes in my blog because it's a great example of one of the many ways that we can reduce emissions that contribute to climate disruption and health problems.

... almost three billion people worldwide ... 40 percent of humanity ... burns wood, dung, coal, or agricultural waste in open hearths or simple stoves to make their meals ...
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... the Global Burden of Disease study released in 2012 estimated that 3.5 million people die prematurely from respiratory illness, cardiac disease, cancer, and other illnesses due to exposure to indoor air pollution, while another half a million die every year from exposure to smoke that escapes kitchens into the outside ambient air. In China, those particles kill 1.2 million people every year; in India, at least 1 million prematurely. ...
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... Designing, manufacturing, distributing, selling and then maintaining clean biomass stoves across many different cultures and economic contexts, from Zanskar to Zambia, is a “wicked problem.” ...
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... BioLite’s HomeStove, which uses similar technology as its CampStove ... is still being tested in a variety of settings, including eastern India. The BioLite HomeStove is a larger format cookstove designed for Emerging Markets and, thanks to BioLite's Parallel Innovation model, is offered at a much lower price point, helping get this clean cooking technology to households that need it most. ...
...

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Long-term drought and aggressive seasonal wildfires have consumed property, lives, and farmland in the American West. The dry weather and blazes are battering regional economies and putting residents and agricultural businesses in several states on a path toward water restrictions. At least part of this story of water woes lies underground.

The map above combines data from the satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) with other satellite and ground-based measurements to model the relative amount of water stored in underground aquifers in the continental United States. The wetness, or water content, is a depiction of the amount of groundwater on July 7, 2014, compared to the average from 1948 to 2009. Areas shown in blue have more abundant groundwater for this time of year than comparable weeks over the long-term, while shades of red depict deficits compared to this time of year.

The maps are an experimental product used by the U.S. Drought Monitor and supported by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The measurements are derived from observations of small changes in Earth’s mass and its gravity field—features that are affected by the movement and storage of water and ice around the planet.

The extent of drought in the American Southwest are reflected well in the GRACE map. California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have been suffering from various degrees of long-term drought that has parched the land surface and prevented the replenishing of groundwater below.

However, some other odd juxtapositions appear. The Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington are suffering through raging wildfires, as months of hot weather have dried out forests. But according to the groundwater data, conditions underground are normal to wet—likely a reflection of the long lag between the accumulation and depletion of water underground and the changes in conditions on the surface. Those states had very wet winters, but the heat and dryness of spring and summer have not yet penetrated the underground storage.

Maps by Chris Poulsen, National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, based on data from Matt Rodell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the GRACE science team. Caption by Mike Carlowicz.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

This KOA has well maintained facilities including a new bathhouse with individual full bathrooms and a pavilion for group events. The river runs very close to the camping areas and beautiful mountains run across both sides of the valley.

Downtown Lava Hot Springs is a short walk from the KOA with water slides and hot pools. We enjoyed sitting in the pools and soaking in the pools. These hot springs are particularly enjoyable because there is no sulfur in the water and although there is naturally occurring chloride, the water is not chlorinated. See lavahotsprings.com for more information.

The only potentially negative aspect of this KOA and downtown Lava Hot Springs is the train tracks across the highway from the camp area. During our most recent visit, several trains stopped there as late as 11:00 PM. So be prepared to hear quite a bit of racket as trains are breaking and accelerating. I didn't find these sounds to be unpleasant, but some may.

Friday, November 1, 2013

I've been gathering tons of information to help make a decision about where to homestead. Water-related data like this is particularly important. See also Joel Skousen's book called "Strategic Relocation".

Adapting to climate change will require more than fortifying coastlines and preparing for warmer temperatures. It will require a careful look at how we manage our water resources. Nearly a decade of observations from the twin GRACE satellites shows that some parts of the United States could face hard times in coming years.

This map shows how water supplies have changed between 2003 and 2012. GRACE measures subtle shifts in gravity from month to month. Variations in land topography or ocean tides change the distribution of Earth’s mass; the addition or subtraction of water also changes the gravity field. In the past decade, groundwater supplies have decreased in California’s Central Valley and in the Southern High Plains (Texas and Oklahoma)—places that rely on ground water to irrigate crops. Eastern Texas, Alabama, and the Mid-Atlantic states also saw a decrease in ground water supplies because of long-term drought. The flood-prone Upper Missouri basin, on the other hand, stored more water over the decade.

“Groundwater reserves, the traditional backup for water supplies during extended periods of drought, are in decline globally,” James Famiglietti (University of California, Irvine) and Matthew Rodell (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) noted in a paper published in Science. This means that the water issues they observed in the United States are issues that other countries face as well.

The problem is only going to get worse over time, according to the most recent climate report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “The contrast in precipitation between wet and dry regions and between wet and dry seasons will increase,” warn scientists in the report. In Famiglietti and Rodell’s words, “the dry regions of the world will become drier, whereas the wet areas will become wetter.” This means that those places that now rely on groundwater because they are dry will need groundwater even more in the future. The current decrease in water reserves highlights the need to monitor and manage ground water resources for the future.

“Worldwide, groundwater supplies about half of all drinking water, and it is also hugely important for agriculture, yet without GRACE we would have no routine, global measurements of changes in groundwater availability,” said Rodell. “Other satellites can’t do it, and ground-based monitoring is inadequate.”

Saturday, July 27, 2013

I can't remember how I found this book but I had to share because it is just packed full of great information. This book includes a great mix of advice about which varieties of fruits and vegetables are most nutritious; how to select, store, and prepare them, along with many short but fascinating stories about the history behind the foods we find in the produce section at the grocery stores and at farmers markets.

Our ancestors were hunters and gatherers and their diet consisted exclusively of natural wild food that was eaten fresh or processed minimally. This book offers a great deal of information that can help you maximize the nutrients you receive from the time and money invested in your food. After reading this book I am inspired to seek out the seeds of the recommended varieties and to figure out which of these fruits and vegetables grow best in my aquaponic garden and which grow best in a traditional soil garden.

"Investigative journalist Jo Robinson describes how 400 generations of farmers have unwittingly squandered a host of essential fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. New research shows that these losses have made us more vulnerable to our most troubling conditions and diseases--obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, and dementia." (From the book description on Amazon)

"We now know that one of the consequences of cultivating the sweetest and mildest-tasting wild plants was a dramatic loss in phytonutrients. Unwittingly, when our ancestors rejected strong -tasting fruits and vegetables, they were lowering their protection against a long list of diseases and troubling conditions. Throughout our history of agriculture, our ability to transform our diet has far exceeded our understanding of the way those changes impact our health and well-being." (p. 10)

"You will learn the names of some of the most nutritious varieties of fruits and vegetables available today. I have gleaned this information from more than one thousand research journals published in the United States and abroad." (p. 16)

"You will also learn new ways to store, prepare, and cook fruits and vegetables to enhance their flavor and retain or increase their health benefits." (p. 17)

"Hunter-gatherers who consumed calcium-rich wild greens had much denser bones than we do today, despite the fact that they consumed no dairy products." (p. 23)

Below are a few examples of the pearls of wisdom included in this book:

"Pungent-tasting onions have eight times more phytonutrients than sweet ones." (p. 14)

"A Granny Smith apple gives you three times move bionutrients than a Golden Delicious and thirteen times more than a Ginger Gold." (p. 14)

"White-fleshed peaches and nectarines ... have twice as many bionutrients as yellow-fleshed varieties." (p. 14)

"The globe artichoke ... is one of the most nutritious vegetables in the grocery store." (pp. 14-15)

"Compared to spinach, one of our present-day 'superfoods,' dandelion leaves have eight times more antioxidants, two times more calcium, three times more vitamin A, and five times more vitamin K and vitamin" (p. 23)

"As a general rule, the most intensely colored salad greens have the most phytonutrients." (p. 25)

"When a lettuce plant has leaves that are tightly wrapped like a cabbage’s, the phytonutrient content tends to be very low." (p. 25)

"All bags of mixed greens, no matter their exact composition, have more phytonutrients than salads made from iceberg or romaine lettuce alone." (p. 29)

"As soon as you bring the greens home, pull off the leaves, rinse them, and soak them for about ten minutes in very cold water ... dry them with a towel or in a salad spinner ... tear up the lettuce before you store it, you can double its antioxidant value. ... Eat the greens within a day or two, because the tearing also hastens their decay." (p. 30)

"... we cannot absorb some of the most important nutrients in salad greens unless the dressing or the meal it’s eaten with contains some type of fat. Olive oil, according to a 2012 Purdue University study, does the best job of making those compounds more bioavailable." (p. 37)

Merveille des Quatre Saisons (also called Marvel of Four Seasons and Continuity)

Outredgeous

Prizehead

Red Iceberg

Red Oak Leaf

Red Sails

Red Velvet

Revolution

Rouge d’Hiver

Ruby Red

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT ALLIUMS

"Garlic , onions, shallots, scallions, chives, and leeks— the allium family— have been celebrated throughout history as savory vegetables, essential condiments, and lifesaving medicine." (p. 47)

"One milligram of allicin, the main active ingredient in garlic, is equivalent to 15 international units of penicillin." (p. 49)

"Common bacteria are one thousand times more likely to become resistant to our modern antibiotics than to garlic." (p. 50).

"In a 2009 test-tube study, quercetin, the main phytonutrient in onions, killed a type A flu virus better than the prescription drug Tamiflu" (p. 50)

"According to the Canadian investigators who conducted the study, “Garlic was by far the strongest inhibitor of tumor cell growth.” (p. 50)

"You can cook garlic and reap all its benefits if you make a simple change in the way you prepare it. Chop, mince, slice, or mash the garlic and then keep it away from the heat for ten minutes." (p. 51)

"If you want to get all garlic’s protective properties, remember this mantra: Press, then rest." (p. 53)

"The hardneck has closer genetic ties with wild garlic and therefore has retained more of its medicinal properties." (p. 55)

"There is only one kind of prepared garlic that is worth its salt: freeze-dried garlic. (p. 56)

"The smaller the onion, food chemists have discovered, the less water it contains and therefore the greater its concentration of phytonutrients. (p. 58)

"the high concentration of bionutrients in onion skins makes them the most nutritious part of the vegetable. Although eating the skins would be unpleasant, you can save them and add them to soup stocks" (p. 60)

"Unlike garlic, onions can be exposed to heat as soon as you slice or chop them without losing any of their health benefits." (p. 61)

"little-known fact is that shallots are superstars of nutrition. Ounce for ounce, they have six times more phytonutrients than the typical onion." (p. 64)

"The nutrients [in leeks] are most concentrated in the leaves and the green portions of the stalk— the parts that most people discard. If you want to use the leaves, buy the smallest leeks you can find, because their leaves will be more tender."(p. 65)

Garlic chives "are a boon to gardeners because their violet flowers attract bees but their roots and stems repel less desirable insects." (p. 67)

"Ounce for ounce, garlic chives have more antioxidants than the hottest red onions." (p. 67)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF GARLIC (p. 69)

Chilean Silver

Inchelium Red

Music

Persian Star

Pink Music

Romanian Red

Spanish Roja

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF ONIONS (p. 71)

Western Yellow

Empire-Sweet (Highest in antioxidant value of the common sweet onion varieties

"teosinte has twice as much protein as our modern corn and significantly less starch." (p. 74)

"Blue corn , which has been sacred to the Hopi and other southwestern American Indian nations for several thousand years, is extremely high in anthocyanins" (p. 75)

"in 1946 ... a military research project ... study the effects of intense radiation on plants and animals. ... irradiated seeds ... planted in a secure government facility near Washington, D.C. ... most of the corn seeds grew into plants that were freakish and short-lived ... samples of all the viable kernels were collected and sent to a central seed bank called the Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center for future research. ... shrunken-2 or sh2 mutation had turned a normal corn gene into a sugar factory! ... had difficulty germinating ... struggled to grow during the first critical weeks. ... a geneticist named John Laughnan ... spent years fixing this flaw ... finally succeeded by crossing sh2 with several old-fashioned cultivars of sweet corn." (pp. 80-82)

"plant breeders have been using advanced breeding techniques to “stack” multiple mutations onto a single variety of corn, creating a new phenomenon called augmented supersweet corn." (p. 83)

"choose the most colorful varieties of corn available. (p. 85)

"Deep yellow varieties have up to fifty-eight times more beta-carotene and the related compounds lutein and zeaxanthin than white corn." (p. 85)

"USDA stated in a recent bulletin, [corn] 'growers in the southern United States spray insecticides as many as twenty-five to forty times per season.'" (p. 86)

"chill the ears as soon as you pick them, then eat them that day." (p. 87)

"The less contact corn has with water, the more nutrients stay in the kernels. ... If you microwave corn in its husks, no water comes in contact with the corn, so all its nutrients are retained." (p. 88)

"canned corn is even higher in carotenoids than fresh corn." (p. 91)

"Steam frozen corn without thawing to retain the most nutritional value." (p. 91)

"Mountain Rose was found to be highly effective in inhibiting human breast cancer" (p. 104)

"Purple Majesty potatoes can lower the blood pressure of people with hypertension." (p. 104)

"Old potatoes have a low rate of respiration and can be stored for several months without losing any of their nutritional value. Their thick skins also prevent rapid moisture loss." (p. 105)

"If you cook potatoes and then chill them for about twenty-four hours before you eat them, they are magically transformed into a low-or moderate-glycemic vegetable. ... Bake potatoes today, chill them tonight, and then reheat them for dinner tomorrow. Your blood sugar response will be reduced by as much as 25 percent." (pp. 105-106)

RECOMMENDED TYPES AND VARIETIES OF POTATOES (p. 108)

All Blue

All Red (also called Cranberry Red)

Mountain Rose

Nicola

Ozette

Purple Majesty

Purple Peruvian

Ranger Russet

Ruby Crescent (Earthy, nutty flavor)

Russet Norkotah (Matures in 60– 75 days;

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT CARROTS, BEETS, AND SWEET POTATOES

"orange carrots did not exist until four hundred years ago, when two plant breeders in the Netherlands crossed a yellow mutant carrot from Africa with a local red carrot." (p. 114)

"think twice before you buy so-called baby carrots ... baby carrots are misshapen mature carrots that have been whittled down ... The outer part that’s thrown away ... is much more nutritious than the inner core that remains." (p. 115)

"buy carrots with their green tops still attached." (p. 116)

"carrots are better for you when cooked." (p. 116)

"cook carrots whole and then slice or chop them after they've been cooked" (p. 116)

"whole-cooked carrots retain more of their natural sweetness." (p. 117)

"carrots are best for you when you eat them with some type of oil or fat." (p. 117)

"purple varieties of carrot are more nutritious than all other colors" (p. 118)

Nutri-Red (Grows best when day temperatures are between 45 and 75 degrees)

Purple Haze

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF BEETS (p. 133)

Bull’s Blood

Cylindra (Leaves are sweeter than those of other varieties of beets. Plant closer together than you would other beets because they grow longer rather than wider)

Detroit Dark Red (Low in geosmin, so they do not have an earthy taste)

Red Ace

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF SWEET POTATOES (p. 134)

Beauregard

Carolina Ruby (Requires lots of space)

Diane

Hawaiian

Stokes Purple (Rich, winey flavor)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT CARROTS, BEETS, AND SWEET POTATOES

"Fully ripened tomatoes, however, are impossible to ship. ... shipped to regional warehouses, where they are force-ripened with precise amounts of ethylene gas. When the warehoused tomatoes become red enough to satisfy consumers— but not fully ripe— they are distributed to nearby stores." (p. 144)

"tomatoes with the darkest red color have the most lycopene." (p. 146)

"Small, dark red tomatoes have the most lycopene per ounce, and they are also sweeter and more flavorful." (p. 146)

"Small tomatoes also have more vitamin C than their beefier relatives." (p. 146)

"The intensely flavored Red Pear heirloom tomato has an astounding twenty-seven times more lycopene than the typical supermarket tomato." (p. 149)

"You’ll get the most health benefits if you grow more red-colored grape, cherry, and currant tomatoes." (pp. 149-150)

"the worst thing you can do is to store tomatoes in your refrigerator. When the internal temperature of a tomato dips below fifty degrees, it stops producing flavor and aromatic compounds. Worse, the flavor it has already acquired begins to fade." (p. 151)

"Tomatoes, like a few other fruits, are better for you cooked than raw. In fact, the longer you cook them, the more health benefits you get.tomatoes are akin to medicine. Just thirty minutes of cooking can more than double their lycopene content" (p. 151)

"The most nutritious tomatoes in the supermarket are not in the produce section— they’re in the canned goods aisle." (p. 152)

"processed tomatoes are also more flavorful than the typical supermarket tomato. Tomatoes grown for the food industry are picked when red-ripe, and they are processed immediately , sometimes within a few hours. No flavor is lost along the way." (p. 152)

"When the volunteers were exposed to enough UV rays to produce a moderate sunburn, the people who had been consuming tomato paste were 40 percent less red overall." (p. 153)

"Unlike most other canned tomato products, tomato paste has no added salt or sugar; it’s the concentrated essence of ripe tomatoes." (p. 153)

RECOMMENDED TYPES AND VARIETIES OF TOMATOES (p. 154)

Abraham Lincoln

Black Cherry

Elfin (Matures in 55–60 days. Plants are only 9–18 inches tall. Can be grown in containers)

Matt’s Wild Cherry (A wild tomato discovered in Mexico in recent years. In some climates, the vines will grow twenty feet long and keep producing tomatoes into the fall.)

Oxheart (High in lycopene compared to other large varieties. High in lycopene compared to other large varieties.)

Red Pear

San Marzano (Heavy walls with little juice. Considered the best for sauce and paste by some chefs. Compact plant size.)

Sara’s Galapagos (Wild variety discovered on the Galápagos Islands in the twenty-first century. Keeps well on the vine.)

Sun Cherry (Matures in 55–68 days. Grows in long clusters of 20 fruits.)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT CRUCIFERS

"their flowers have four petals arranged in the shape of a cross, which is why they became known as crucifers."

"crucifers offer more health benefits than all but a few fruits and vegetables."

"In order to preserve all the nutrients in broccoli, it must be chilled as soon as it is harvested , kept cool, and then eaten within two or three days."

"The cut end of the stem should be moist and smooth ... Whole heads of broccoli are more nutritious than pretrimmed florets."

"If you’re a gardener, the freshest broccoli will come from your own garden. It’s a good practice to plant several varieties that mature at different times so you can have a continuous supply throughout the summer and fall."

"Eating broccoli raw gives you up to twenty times more of a beneficial compound called sulforaphane than cooked broccoli. Sulforaphane provides much of the vegetable’s anticancer properties."

"One of the best ways to cook broccoli is to steam it for no more than four minutes. Steaming retains the most nutrients and also prevents the formation of unpleasant odors and flavors."

"Brussels sprouts kill more human cancer cells than all other crucifers."

"Rub two heads of cabbage together. If you hear a squeak , they are reasonably fresh."

"cabbage does not respire very rapidly, so it can be stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for weeks without losing many of its nutrients."

"If you steam cabbage for five minutes or less, it produces only a small amount of hydrogen sulfide. In order for cabbage to be done in five minutes, though, you need to cut it into half-inch slices or chop it roughly."

"Red cabbage is the antioxidant king. It has six times more antioxidant activity than green cabbage and three times more than savoy cabbage."

"The intensely purple Graffiti cauliflower has two and a half times more antioxidants than the standard white variety."

"Romanesca cauliflower and other green cauliflowers have about four times more glucosinolates than white cauliflower."

"All varieties of kale grown today are good sources of cancer-fighting, heart-protective glucosinolates."

"One serving of kale has more calcium than six ounces of milk and more fiber than three slices of whole-wheat bread."

"Store kale in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator and use it within a few days."

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF BROCCOLI

Atlantic

Brigadier

Cavolo Broccolo

Majestic Crown

Marathon

Needs lots of space.

Packman (ready 55 days after setting out transplants.)

Purple Sprouting (Grows to 24– 36 inches tall.)

Deadon (Delicious, sweet flavor.)

Mammoth Red Rock

Red Express (Compact plants)

Ruby Perfection (Bright magenta leaves)

Celio (Sow in April for a September or October harvest.)

Emeraude

Graffiti (Bright purple heads.)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF KALE

All varieties of kale in the supermarket are high in cancer-fighting compounds and antioxidants

Tuscan (AKA Cavolo Nero and Lacinato. Sweeter and milder than many other varieties.)

Red Russian (Matures 50 days after setting out transplants or 25 days if you want to harvest them as baby greens)

Redbor (Matures 65 days after setting out transplants.)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT LEGUMES (BEANS, PEAS, AND LENTILS)

"When grains and legumes are eaten in the same meal, a complete protein is formed that has the same high quality as the proteins in meat, eggs, and dairy products."

"A number of North American tribes planted corn, beans, and squash in a single mound, a technique we now refer to as companion planting."

"One way to get more food value from green peas is to buy edible pod peas, also known as sugar snap peas and snow peas . The pods have more fiber and antioxidants than the peas themselves."

"Fresh black-eyed peas, for example, have almost five times more antioxidant activity than common"

"one serving of cooked pinto beans has more antioxidant activity than six cups of cooked cauliflower or twelve cups of cooked carrots."

"nothing beats a bowl of lentil soup"

"Make your pea soup from dried yellow peas instead of green peas, and you will get six times more antioxidant protection."

"those who consumed beans or lentils two or more times a week had a 24 percent lower risk of breast cancer."

"In a 2011 survey of the top one hundred antioxidant-rich foods in the United States , canned kidney beans and pinto beans were ranked first and second, respectively."

"Black lentils— tiny lentils that are rarely found in supermarkets —are the most nutritious of all."

"Although most soybeans produced in this country are genetically modified, this is not true of edamame."

"Fresh soybeans are more nutritious than most other fresh beans and peas."

"for the most nutrition and flavor, buy fresh edamame on the vine from Asian food markets."

"The easiest way to prepare fresh, unshelled edamame is to boil them in salted water for five minutes. (The pods prevent the nutrients in the beans from leaching into the water.)"

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF FRESH PEAS AND BEANS

Royal Burgundy

Royalty Purple (Needs wide row spacing or a fence for climbing.)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT ARTICHOKES, ASPARAGUS, AND AVOCADOS

"Artichokes have a higher ORAC value than all the other fruits and vegetables in the supermarket."

"Artichokes have another virtue. They are high in inulin, a probiotic (beneficial microorganism) that nourishes the growth of “good” gut bacteria that can compete with deadly strains of E. coli and other disease-causing bacteria."

"Rub two artichokes together and they should squeak."

"If you shop for artichokes in a farmers market or grow your own, look for violet-colored varieties, such as Violetto or Violet de Provence."

"boiling artichokes increases their antioxidant levels, an exception to the general rule that boiled vegetables are less nutritious."

"Steamed artichokes give you almost three times more antioxidant protection than boiled artichokes."

"In contrast to those of most other fruits and vegetables, the outside leaves of artichokes have only one-tenth as many bionutrients as the tender inner leaves."

"wild asparagus has almost twice as many phytonutrients and five times as much vitamin C as our domesticated varieties."

"the description of the highest USDA grade for asparagus states that the butt end should be at least a half inch in diameter."

"A variety called Purple Passion has up to three times more antioxidants than the standard green varieties."

"Asparagus that is harvested when only six or seven inches of stalk have emerged from the soil is much sweeter than asparagus that is harvested when it is ten inches above ground."

"Research shows that cooked asparagus is better for you than raw asparagus. If you steam asparagus, the recommended method, you increase its antioxidant value by about 30 percent."

"One serving [of avocados] gives you more antioxidants than a serving of broccoli raab, grapes, red bell peppers, or red cabbage . Avocados are also a good source of vitamin E, folate, potassium, and magnesium."

"Adding sliced avocados to a salad can increase the amount of beta-carotene and lutein you absorb from the greens by as much as 1,500 percent."

"Hass avocado, the large, black, bumpy-skinned variety sold in most supermarkets, has from two to four times more antioxidant value than most of the other varieties in the store."

"Some suppliers will custom-graft a tree for you. Tell them which variety of apple you would like and whether you want the tree to be a dwarf, semidwarf, or standard size. It’s nutrition, size , and flavor made to order." (p. 234)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF APPLES (pp. 234-237)

Braeburn (Lower in phytonutrients than most of the following varieties)

Cortland (Does not brown readily)

Discovery (Does not store well)

Fuji (One of the most nutritious of the 12 most common varieties)

Gala (Good dessert apple with mild flavor)

Granny Smith (It has 13 times more phytonutrients than Ginger Gold)

Honeycrisp (The peel is especially high in phytonutrients)

Liberty (Higher in phytonutrients than Granny Smith)

Melrose (One of the best keepers. Its flavor improves during storage)

Red Delicious

Belle de Boskoop (Best for zones 6–9, Needs two different apple varieties for adequate pollination)

Rhode Island Greening (Best for zones 4– 10. Late-season variety. Deserves a place in more home orchards.)

Spartan (Best for zones 4–8. Early fall apple and a heavy bearer. Benefits from having a pollinator)

WineCrisp (Best for zones 4–8. Midseason apple.)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT BLUEBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES

"Hunter-gatherers valued wild berries above all other fruits because they were abundant, naturally sweet, and easy to dry for later use." (p. 239)

"Most pemmican recipes combined three basic ingredients— dried meat or fish, dried fruit, and some type of oil or fat. Berries were the most commonly used fruit." (p. 240)

"Although few of our cultivated varieties measure up to native berries, most of the berries in our stores are nutritional superstars nonetheless." (p. 241)

"In a recent nutritional analysis of eighty-seven different varieties of blueberries, the Rubel had the highest antioxidant value and the second highest anthocyanin content. ... You can also order Rubel berry bushes from some plant nurseries or over the Internet." (p. 243)

"Blueberries, more than most other fruits and vegetables, show great promise in fighting our so-called diseases of civilization. ... tumors ... blood pressure ... arterial plaque buildup ... inflammation. It has also prevented obesity and diabetes in rats that were fed a high-fat, high-calorie, and high-sugar lab chow—in other words, a replica of the typical American diet." (p. 244)

"Researchers at the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University ... tested the anti-aging effect of blueberries on middle-aged rodents. ... eating the fruit had done more than slow the aging of their brains: it had reversed it." (p. 244)

"small group of men and women whose average age was seventy-six. ... At study’s end, the wild blueberry juice drinkers scored 30 percent higher on tests of memory and cognition than those who had been given the other juice." (p. 245)

"Don’t rinse off the bloom (the natural waxy coating) until you eat the [blueberries], because it preserves its juiciness and fights surface bacteria." (p. 247)

"Frozen blueberries are available in supermarkets year-round. Research shows that they are almost as nutritious as fresh berries. ... Some stores carry frozen wild blueberries, which are an even better choice." (p. 247)

"The standard temperature setting for home-dried fruit is 120– 130 degrees Fahrenheit. If you increase the temperature to 190 degrees, you will shorten the drying time and preserve twice as many nutrients." (p. 250)

"Most blueberry varieties do best in the cool climates of the northern states and Canada ... but if you live in the South and are in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 10, plant the following varieties: Sharpblue, Floridablue, Avonblue, Blue Ridge, Cape Fear, Gulf Coast, O’Neal, or Georgia Gem." (pp. 250-251)

"Many varieties of blackberries have more anthocyanins than blueberries and a lower glycemic load." (p. 251)

"Loganberries, boysenberries, and marionberries are man-made varieties of blackberries. ... Surprisingly, all three of these human inventions are more nutritious than most blackberries." (p. 252)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF BLUEBERRIES (pp. 254-256)

Aronia berries (Best for zones 3–7. Also known as chokeberries. Each bush can grow to 6 feet high, 6 feet wide, and bear 40 pounds of fruit.)

"Traces of sixty different agricultural chemicals have been found on conventionally raised strawberries." (p. 264)

"Strawberries come back year after year ... If you plant them in the early fall, they will develop strong roots before winter sets in and produce a good crop the first spring." (p. 265)

Wild strawberries, with their bright red runners, make an excellent ground cover. You’ll have the best luck finding them in nurseries that specialize in native plants. Look for Fragaria virginiana." (p. 265)

"Eating as little as one serving [of cranberries] per week, according to a 2009 study, can lower the risk of a bladder infection by more than 50 percent." (p. 266)

"The skin of peaches and nectarines is the most nutritious part. ... If you eat the skins, buy organically certified fruit. Year after year, peaches and nectarines are counted among our most contaminated fruits." (p. 280)

"Some individual peaches had traces of up to sixty-seven different chemicals" (p. 280)

"The stone fruits sold in farmers markets are ripe and freshly harvested, and most of them are organically grown as well." (p. 281)

"Be on the lookout for peaches with red flesh, which are known as blood peaches. As you can see by the graph below, they are the most nutritious of them all." (p. 281)

"Freezing preserves more antioxidants than canning. ... Thaw the frozen fruit in the microwave to retain the most nutrients." (p. 281)

"apricots have from three to eight times more phytonutrients than peaches or nectarines." (p. 283)

"you wait until midsummer to buy apricots, they are likely to be riper and more nutritious than those that are available earlier in the year." (pp. 283-284)

"A ripe apricot is plump and tight-skinned. Its skin is yellow or orange, with only minimal amounts of pale yellow. Finally, it gives a little when you touch it gently in the middle." (p. 284)

"One [apricot] variety to look for is the Royal Blenheim, or simply Blenheim." (p. 284)

"Sun-dried apricots have about half the phytonutrient content of the fresh-picked fruit. For greater retention of nutrients, purchase apricots that have been 'tunnel-dried' or 'hot-air dried,' which is a speedier process." (p. 284)

"The standard temperature setting for home-dried fruit is 120–130 degrees Fahrenheit. If you raise the temperature to 190 degrees, you will create a more nutritious product." (p. 285)

"The Prunus virginiana wild cherry tree is native to the United States." (p. 285)

"Chokecherries, it’s been discovered in recent years, are extremely high in phytonutrients, surpassing all other wild fruits, including wild blueberries." (p. 286)

"The most popular sour cherry is the Montmorency. Studies show that Montmorency cherries can reduce pain and inflammation, including pain caused by strenuous exercise." (p. 288)

"Tart cherries that are dried without added sugar have more antioxidant value than those dried with sugar." (p. 289)

"You can plant dwarf or semi-dwarf [cherry] trees, which makes it much easier to harvest the fruit and safeguard it from birds." (p. 289)

"Fresh cherries have bright green stems that are supple but firm." (p. 289)

"US cherries have three times more pesticides than imported cherries" (p. 290)

"When you harvest cherries or bring them home from the store, refrigerate them right away. Place them in a microperforated plastic bag to allow a slow exchange of gases." (p. 290)

"The Indian plum and all other wild plums are highly nutritious." (p. 291)

"The Australian Kakadu plum has more vitamin C than any other food analyzed to date ... The Kakadu has five times more antioxidants than the typical blueberry." (p. 291)

"Press them between your palms; ripe plums have a slight give. If you wait until July to buy plums, they are likely to be riper and more flavorful than those harvested earlier in the year." (pp. 291-292)

"Prunes are proving to be higher in antioxidants than many other nutritious fruits, including most varieties of blueberries and strawberries." (p. 293)

"Dried plums are an overlooked, inexpensive superfood. Although they are high in natural sugars, they are rich enough in antioxidants to reduce most of the negative effects of the sugar." (p. 293)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF PEACHES AND NECTARINES (pp. 295-296)

Champagne (Best for zones 7–9. ripen in mid-August.)

Indian Blood Cling (Best for zones 4–8. Ripens in mid-September. Does best with a pollinator.)

O’Henry (Best for zones 6–9. Midseason harvest. self-pollinating. Higher in antioxidants than most other yellow-fleshed varieties.)

September Sun (Best for zones 5–9. Late-season peach that ripens from late August to early September.)

Snow Giant (Best for zones 4B–8B. Late August harvest.)

Snow King (Best for zones 5–9. August harvest. Self-pollinating.)

Spring Crest (Best for zones 5–9. Early-season variety.Ripens from late May through Medium-size peach with little fuzz.)

Arctic Snow (Best for zones 5–9. Late-harvest variety. Ripens from the last week of August to the first week in September.)

Brite Pearl (Best for zones 5–9. Not cold-hardy.)

Crimson Gold (Best for zones 5–9. Ripens in July.)

John Boy II (Best for Zones 5–9. Earliest-ripening nectarine.)

Red Jim (Best for zones 5A–9B.)

Zee Fire (Best for zones 5–9. Ripens in May. Good for warm climates)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF APRICOTS (p. 297)

All varieties (Apricots are more nutritious than peaches and nectarines.)

Blenheim (Best for zones 4–8. Ripens from June to early July. Self-pollinating.

Red Beaut (Best for zones 5–9. Ripens in late May. Requires a pollinator.)

Stanley (Best for zones 5–9. Late-summer harvest. Self-pollinating, but does best with another pollinator.)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT GRAPES AND RAISINS

"Wild muscadine grapes are round, large, dark purple fruits that grow on unruly vines . Native to the southeastern United States, they once extended from Florida to Delaware and then west to Texas." (p. 303)

"muscadines have more overall antioxidant value than any of our table grapes." (p. 304)

"Since the 1960s, most US grape producers have been spraying them with a plant hormone called gibberellic acid. The hormone elongates them, which increases their overall size by as much as 75 percent. Virtually all the Thompson seedless grapes sold in the United States have been 'gibbed.'" (pp. 306-307)

"Welch’s Concord grape juice had a higher ORAC value than all the other juices" (p. 308)

"Whether the sulfur dioxide use is noted or not, it is safe to assume that most conventionally raised grapes have been fumigated." (p. 310)

"Pick up a bunch by the stem and give it a gentle shake. The grapes should stay on the vine." (p. 310)

"Reject bags of grapes that are sticky or moist or contain loose grapes" (p. 310)

"97 percent of all the grapes tested had residues from at least one type of pesticide." (p. 310)

"Once you harvest or buy your grapes, cool them as quickly as possible." (p. 311)

"Do not rinse the grapes before storing, because the added surface moisture will promote decay." (p. 311)

"Currants are made from Black Corinth grapes, a variety with very small fruit. Currants have more antioxidants than traditional raisins or golden raisins. They are aromatic and a lively blend of sweet and tart. Use them in place of raisins in many of your recipes. If you buy them in bulk, they are likely to be less expensive than raisins." (p. 317)

"Currants comprise only 1 percent of the US raisin market, but they are available in most supermarkets. We should eat more of them. They have more phytonutrients than most dried fruits, including golden raisins." (p. 314)

"In Europe, currants are an essential ingredient in many traditional breads, pastries, coffee cakes, and even meat dishes. Substitute currants for raisins in some of your recipes." (p. 314)

"Thompson seedless is the lowest in nutritive value." (p. 314)

"Concord grape juice is an inexpensive, widely available, low-cost beverage that has more phytonutrients than much more expensive juices." (p. 316)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF GRAPES (p. 315)

Autumn Royal (Best in zones 7–8. Does not require a pollinator.)

Concord (Best for zones 4–9. Ripens in September. Self-pollinating. Can withstand cooler temperatures than many other varieties.)

Crimson Seedless (Best for zones 6–10. Ripens from late September through October.)

"Oranges, food scientists have discovered in recent years, contain more than 170 individual phytonutrients." (p. 319)

"The most effective method to disguise the immaturity of the oranges was to harvest oranges before they were ripe, ship them to warehouses, and then expose the fruit to precise amounts of ethylene gas, which triggers the ripening process in many fruits. ... But ethylene exposure does not ripen the flesh of oranges, as it does with tomatoes; it simply alters the color of their skins. The oranges may look ripe, but they are more acidic, less sweet, and have fewer bionutrients than fully ripened fruit. ... survey all the oranges in a given display. If the skin of the oranges ranges in color from yellow to deep orange, then you know they have not been degreened. (If they had been degreened, they would all be the same color of orange.) In this case, simply choose the orangest oranges you see." (pp. 324-325)

"you can increase your odds of bringing home ripe fruit by selecting the largest fruit in the display." (p. 325)

"If you buy organic oranges, you will know for certain that they have not been degreened." (p. 325)

"Citrus fruits can be kept in the refrigerator for about two weeks." (p. 326)

"A 1990 study determined that blood oranges grown in California have a darker flesh color and as much as thirty-five times more anthocyanins than those grown in Florida and Texas." (p. 327)

"Consider planting a blood orange tree. The Moro variety has an unusually high level of anthocyanins. Buy a seedling tree this year and you will have your own supply of blood oranges in the years to come. You can also grow a tree in a pot in your office or home. With proper care, even these indoor trees will bear fruit." (p. 327)

"Surprisingly, the most nutritious part of an orange is not the pulp, the juice, or its bright neon skin. The greatest concentration of phytonutrients is in the pith, the spongy white tissue that lies just beneath the skin." (p. 329)

"The most flavorful and nutritious orange juice is the juice you squeeze at home— provided you select the right varieties." (p. 332)

"Consuming grapefruit juice or fresh grapefruits can interfere with the action of some prescription drugs and a few nonprescription drugs." (p. 334)

"Medications that are known to be influenced by grapefruits include some that lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, calm anxiety, and reduce the risk of the rejection of organ transplants." (p. 335)

"Grapefruits that are harvested after December are less likely to be degreened because they are closer to true ripeness." (p. 335)

"Limes are no longer grown in this country in any quantity because they are vulnerable to the Asian citrus canker, a disease that devastates citrus trees." (p. 336)

"adding a squirt of lemon to your teacup or teapot before you brew green tea increases the amount of the phytonutrients in the brew and also enhances your ability to absorb them." (p. 338)

"ripe limes are yellow, not green." (p. 338)

"Lemons and limes, like other citrus fruits, can be kept at room temperature for about a week." (p. 338)

"Freezing preserves the phytonutrient content of the juice and its flavor." (pp. 338-339)

"Ounce for ounce, the peel of citrus fruits has many times more phytonutrients than the flesh." (p. 339)

"You can save money by eating the peels of the fruit you bring home. However, I don’t recommend that you do this unless you buy organic fruit." (p. 339)

"Grapefruits harvested after December are less likely to be force-ripened with ethylene gas." (p. 342)

"citrus fruits are grown only in climate zones 9–10." (p. 341)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF CITRUS FRUITS (pp. 341-342)

Blood oranges (The Moro variety is the highest in anthocyanins. Peak season is from January to mid-April.)

Cara Cara (Peak season is from December to April.)

Valencia (They are available from February to October, but peak season is from May to July, when most other US varieties are out of season.)

Washington navel (The new crop arrives in stores in October, but the oranges are more likely to be ripe after November.)

TANGELOS: Any variety (More nutritious than most oranges, tangelos have the tang and color of tangerines.)

Clementine (Clementines are an early-season mandarin orange. Free of seeds,)

Satsuma (seedless and very easy to peel.

Tangerine (Their flavor is sweet, less sour, and more intense than most oranges.)

GRAPEFRUITS: White varieties (have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and to block the growth of several different types of human cancer cells.)

GRAPEFRUITS: Pink varieties (sweeter than white grapefruits)

GRAPEFRUITS: Red varieties (The most nutritious varieties include Rio Star, Star Ruby, Rio Red, and Ruby Red, in that order.)

TIPS AND ADVICE ABOUT TROPICAL FRUITS

"When we eat tropical fruit, we are eating globally, not locally, racking up thousands of miles on the “foodometer” and burning significant amounts of nonrenewable fuel." (p. 345)

"We eat more bananas than any other fruit— more than apples and oranges combined." (p. 346)

"Bunches of bananas can have from five to one thousand individual fruits. The skins can be red, black, green, pink, purple, or green with white stripes." (p. 346)

"Plantains are the primary source of carbohydrates for some twenty million people worldwide." (p. 347)

"The deeper and more vivid the color of the flesh, the better it is for you." (p. 348)

"In large supermarkets you will find the red banana, a red-skinned, pudgy fruit. The skin turns almost black when ready to eat, making it look like a miniature overripe Cavendish. When you peel back the skin, you will see the succulent, salmon-colored flesh, which is high in carotenoids and vitamin C." (p. 349)

"Some supermarkets carry three-inch-long baby bananas, or niños— also called Lady Finger bananas. The flesh of this yellow-skinned variety is also richer in carotenoids than the Cavendish." (p. 349)

"If you buy green bananas, you can store them at room temperature until they ripen, which takes about a week." (p. 349)

"Pineapples are our second -most-popular tropical fruit. Like bananas, they are relatively high in sugar and low in phytonutrients." (p. 350)

"the sweeter pineapples are the more healthful choice. Although they have 25 percent more sugar than the Cayenne" (p. 351)

"Pineapples are harvested when ripe and do not continue to ripen once they’ve been harvested." (p. 351)

"To choose a fresh pineapple, look for crown leaves that are a deep green color with no signs of fading or browning. If you can pluck a leaf from the crown, it may be over the hill." (pp. 351-352)

"a much larger variety of papaya that has four aliases—Caribbean Red , Caribbean Sunrise, Mexican, and Maradol. Grown primarily in Mexico and Central America, the fruit is shaped like a truncated football and weighs between two and five pounds . This red-fleshed papaya has twice as many carotenoids as the golden Solos." (p. 352)

"Color is the most important clue to ripeness. A ripe papaya is mostly yellow or orange-yellow. Press the rounded end of a papaya and it should have a slight give, but the stem end should be firm, not soft." (p. 352)

"A ripe mango can be as sweet and creamy as a peach." (p. 353)

"As is true for peaches and nectarines, the redness of a mango is not a good indicator of its ripeness." (p. 353)

"The fruit should have the distinctive aroma of a mango without any hint of ammonia, which is a sign of an overripe fruit. Their firmness is another clue. When you press the fruit gently between your palms, it should have a slight give." (p. 353)

"No matter which mangoes you choose, they are guaranteed to be more nutritious than the varieties of bananas, pineapples, or papayas that are available in this country." (p. 354)

"In the United States, guavas are cultivated in Hawaii, Florida, Texas, and California." (p. 354)

"To choose a ripe guava, look for one that yields to gentle pressure when pressed between your palms. It should be free of soft spots, dents, and scars." (p. 354)

"Bananas are relatively high in sugar and low in phytonutrients. ... good source of potassium." (p. 357)

"Guavas are more nutritious than bananas, pineapples, papayas, and mangoes. Red -fleshed guavas are the most nutritious of all, but even the white-fleshed varieties offer important health benefits." (p. 358)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF TROPICAL FRUITS (p. 356)

Baby bananas (also called niños)

Red bananas (They are ready to eat when the skin is a dark magenta color with brown streaks.)

Burro bananas (Let these fat and stubby bananas ripen until the flesh is yellow for the best flavor.)

(Golden, extra-sweet varieties)

Del Monte Pineapples

Gold Extra Sweet Pineapples

Hawaii Gold Pineapples

Maui Gold Pineapples

Caribbean Red Papayas (also called Caribbean Sunrise, Mexican, or Maradol, twice the carotenoids and lycopene as the more common, golden-fleshed varieties.)

"Most of the melons that are sold in the summer are grown in the United States, but in spring, fall, and winter they are imported from other countries." (p. 360)

"Melons are about 95 percent water, so whatever nutrients they contain are highly diluted." (p. 360)

"Lycopene, we now know, provides the red color. Dark red watermelons are one of the best sources of this phytonutrient . In fact, some varieties have 40 percent more lycopene per ounce than ripe tomatoes." (p. 361)

"How do you know when a watermelon is ripe? Look for one that is beginning to lose its gloss. Then examine the “ground spot,” the part of the melon that was in contact with the soil. It should be yellow, not green or white. When you tap the watermelon, listen for a hollow sound rather than a flat thump." (p. 361)

"In recent years, “personal” watermelons have come on the market. These smaller fruits weigh about two pounds— the ideal size for one-or two-person households. Interestingly, they have more lycopene than most larger melons." (p. 362)

"Keep a watermelon on your counter for several days and it will have 50 percent more lycopene than it did when you bought it." (p. 362)

"Watermelons grow best in areas where the summer daytime temperatures are between 70 and 90 degrees and the nighttime temperatures stay above 60." (p. 362)

"choose cantaloupes with deep orange flesh, which is an indication of their overall carotenoid content." (p. 362)

"To pick a ripe melon, look at the stem end. The fruit should have a slight depression , or an “innie.” If it has a bit of a stub, or an “outie,” it was probably picked while still green and won’t have had time to develop its full flavor." (p. 363)

"Raspberries and cantaloupe are a good combination, as are blueberries and honeydews." (p. 363)

"Cantaloupes, with their deeply netted skins, hold on to more bacteria than smooth-skinned melons." (p. 363)

"The green honeydew melon, our sweetest melon of all, is also the lowest in nutritive value." (p. 364)

"A ripe honeydew melon feels heavy for its size, and its skin is cream-colored, not green. The stem end depresses slightly when you press it with your thumb. If it depresses too far, the melon is likely to be soft and mushy rather than ripe and crisp. Shake the melon. If the seeds rattle, it’s overripe." (p. 364)

"stop watering [melon] plants about a week before they ripen, their flavor will become more concentrated." (p. 364)

"Casabas have an extended shelf life, which makes them popular with producers and retailers." (pp. 364-365)

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF MELONS (pp. 369-370)

Precut watermelons (buy those that have the most intense red color— your guarantee of high lycopene content.)

Precut cantaloupes (cantaloupes that have the deepest orange flesh.)

Honeydews (Orange-fleshed varieties)

Casabas (not as nutritious as cantaloupes or as sweet as honeydews. They are very juicy.)